Polymarket Makes Power Move: Snags QCEX for $112M in Bold US Expansion Play

Prediction market heavyweight Polymarket just dropped $112 million to swallow derivatives platform QCEX whole—and Wall Street didn't see it coming.

Why this matters

The acquisition turbocharges Polymarket's stateside ambitions while traditional finance scrambles to decode decentralized derivatives. QCEX's infrastructure becomes Polymarket's Trojan horse into regulated markets.

Between the lines

At $112M, this isn't some talent grab—it's a full-scale assault on legacy derivatives players still charging 0.75% per trade like it's 1999. The deal gives Polymarket instant credibility where it counts: liquidity and leverage.

What's next

Watch for regulatory chess moves as the CFTC digests this combo meal of prediction markets and crypto derivatives. Meanwhile, TradFi brokers will suddenly discover their 'long-held concerns' about market integrity.

Bottom line: When crypto eats finance, it starts with the most profitable forks first—and $112M buys a lot of cutlery.

Polymarket Thrives Globally Despite US Ban Since 2022

Polymarket has remained officially closed to U.S. users since 2022 but has seen explosive growth overseas.

In the first half of 2025 alone, users wagered roughly $6 billion on everything from political races to cultural moments and sports events.

The platform gained prominence during the 2024 U.S. presidential election cycle.

The company’s path to U.S. compliance was complicated by scrutiny from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Department of Justice, which launched a joint investigation following Donald Trump’s re-election.

The FBI raided Coplan’s home in November, but earlier this month, Coplan confirmed that the inquiry had been closed.

With the acquisition of QCEX, which only received its license to operate as a designated contract market earlier this month, Polymarket now has a regulated foothold that could enable it to offer compliant prediction contracts in the U.S.

Polymarket has acquired QCEX, a CFTC-regulated exchange and clearinghouse, for $112 million.

This paves the way for us to welcome American traders again.

I've waited a long time to say this:

Polymarket is coming homepic.twitter.com/Qjd5ZbUwKi

“The acquisition of QCX was laying the foundation to bring Polymarket home — re-entering the U.S. as a fully regulated and compliant platform that will allow Americans to trade their opinions,” Coplan said on Monday.

“Shayne has built a cultural phenomenon in Polymarket,” QCEX founder Sergei Dobrovolskii added.

“I am excited to bring our companies together and leverage our licences, technology, and expertise in the retail trading sector to help Polymarket reach its full potential.”

The deal comes amid growing regulatory openness toward prediction markets.

Kalshi, a rival platform, won a court ruling last year allowing betting on political outcomes.

Polymarket Nears Unicorn Status With $200M Raise

As reported, Polymarket is close to securing a $200 million funding round led by Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, valuing the crypto-based prediction platform at $1 billion.

Despite being banned in the US, Polymarket’s user base and market activity have surged, with over 21,000 open markets and $700 million in active trading volume.

The platform recently partnered with Elon Musk’s X to integrate prediction markets with Grok, X’s AI chatbot, boosting its visibility amid ongoing regulatory hurdles.

Polymarket has seen explosive growth since the 2024 U.S. election, hitting a $2.5 billion trading peak in November, but it remains restricted in several countries and faces criticism over potential market manipulation.